The season is finally underway. Minor-league games get going this weekend, so we'll have plenty of fodder for the Down on the Farm mailbag, which we'll do nearly every week during the season.

First, a personal update. My new website Johnsickels.com is now operational. Right now, it is mostly just a commercial blurb for my newsletter, but at some point I'll be using it to post updates about what I'm doing and where, sort of like my ESPN.com colleague Rob Neyer does with his site. My old AOL page will remain up for now, but at some point I'm going to convert that to non-baseball content.

Anyway, let's hit the mailbag.

John S. writes: I've been hearing for a couple years about how "stacked" the White Sox are in young pitching. Yet outside of Mark Buerhle, who was really a surprise out of nowhere. I have yet to see anybody materialize along the lines of Wade Miller, Roy Oswalt, Juan Cruz, Josh Beckett, Bud Smith, Barry Zito etc., or even show the promise of the aforementioned at the major-league level.

	Garland

Is the White Sox young pitching more hype than reality?

To some extent, perhaps. The White Sox have a strong collection of fastballs, but they've had only mixed results in turning arms into actual pitchers. Jon Garland, Danny Wright, Matt Ginter, these guys all have great potential, but their command lags behind their velocity. The same is true for prospect Brian West; lefty Corwin Malone has more polish. Jon Rauch missed a year of development time. I'm concerned that they may have pushed some of these guys too quickly, and unless they throw strikes more consistently, Sox fans may be disappointed.

Matt M. asks: I'm in debate with a friend over how good Yankees uber-prospect Drew Henson will be or better yet what his value is to the team. My friend claims that one of the key players in the trade that sent Henson to the Yankees from Cincinnati, outfielder Wily Mo Pena, is regarded as a young Sammy Sosa. Meanwhile, Henson seems to draw comparisons to Troy Glaus. I think the Henson-Glaus comparison to be the more likely of the two. The Reds are loaded with young outfielders, so perhaps they are trying to elevate Pena's trade status? I guess this is basically a long way of asking, who would you rather have Henson or Pena?

I think the Henson/Glaus comparison is a good one. Henson has that sort of potential, provided he can stay healthy and do a better job of controlling the strike zone more consistently.

As for Wily Mo, he is like Sosa in the sense that he is quite fast and enormously strong. But he also has the strike zone judgment of a giraffe. He hit .264 with 26 homers and 26 steals for Class A Dayton last year, but he drew just 33 walks while fanning 177 times. He was 19 last year. When Sosa was 19, he hit .229 with nine homers (but 12 triples) and 42 steals at Class A Charlotte, with a 35/106 BB/K mark. Accounting for league and park effects, and the difference between baseball in 2001 and baseball in 1988, their performances were very similar.

Of course, the Florida State League is tougher than the Midwest League, so Sosa was a year ahead of Pena on the development curve. Also remember that it took a long time for Sosa to learn the strike zone, and his ability to do so seems rather unique. Few players with very poor strike zone judgment like the young Sammy improve as much as he has.

It is possible that Wily Mo could develop into a star, but it is not likely. He still has a lot to prove.

Robert writes: Can you please give an evaluation of Kevin Cash of the Blue Jays. I hear he has been surprisingly impressive this spring.

Cash is an interesting case. He played college ball at Florida State, but wasn't drafted. The Blue Jays signed him as a free agent in 1999, after he caught a few games in the Cape Cod League ... he'd been a third baseman previously, but was such a natural behind the plate that the Jays were intrigued. With almost no catching experience, he quickly became the best defensive catcher in the Blue Jays system. He has a great arm, a solid release, and is quite quick: he's thrown out more than 50 percent of runners in his two-year career. He can hit some too, batting .283 with 12 homers and 43 walks in 371 at-bats last year in the Florida State League. His strike zone judgment is decent.

Cash needs to learn how to call a game, and at age 24 he isn't a spring chicken for someone just reaching Double-A. But his glove is excellent, he provides decent offense, and I always root for undrafted free agents. I think he is a fine prospect.

	Duckworth

Scott G. asks: What do you think of Phillies starter Brandon Duckworth? How good can he be?

Duckworth doesn't have the immense ceiling of someone like Josh Beckett or Mark Prior, but he is going to have a good career. He eats innings like no-calorie Oreo cookies, throws strikes, and is consistently effective in a workmanlike manner. He's never had any serious health problems, and if that holds up, I think we can safely pencil him in for 200 innings, an ERA somewhat better than league average, and 10-15 wins depending on run support. He's very good, in other words.

Brad O. writes: They aren't rookies, but what do you think about Toby Hall and Joe Kennedy in Tampa Bay? I wish some of the media would stop looking down their nose at the Devil Rays and start looking at these exciting, young players. This year's version will be better, but not good. But, I think in late 2003 and beginning in 2004, this team will be a playoff contender. Thoughts?

The Devil Rays do get bashed a lot, though the poor roster and personnel decisions made by the team since its inception account for most of the media apathy/antipathy. But there is some hope. They are finally committing to youth.

This is a problem only in the sense that the farm system has been a bit disappointing so far, but it is at least the right course of action. They have quite a bit of speed and athleticism on the way up, though they need to show they can mold athletes into players, which is never easy.

I'm quite high on Toby Hall; he could end up being one of the best for-average hitters in the league and really sneak up on people soon. Kennedy surprised a lot of people last year, but his K/BB ratios have always been strong, and he knows how to pitch. I like his chances to win some games this year if they score runs for him.

As for the future, the Rays face stiff competition in the American League East, and even projecting a wild-card berth two years down the road is quite a stretch. But if they stay on course with youth, and if some of the high-ceiling players in the farm system develop, they'll be respectable sooner than people think.

John Sickels is the author of the 2002 STATS Minor League Scouting Notebook. He is currently writing a biography of Bob Feller. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife, son, and two cats. You can send John questions or comments at JASickels@aol.com, or you can visit his homepage at hometown.aol.com/jasickels/page1.html.